August 13, 2012

Touring Our Own City

Over the weekend, Brandi and I decided it was time to venture out of the Valley for a change. Not only did we want to keep things inexpensive (there is a secret behind this that you will soon find out), but it was time for us to get a little creative, doing some sight seeing and just enjoy some of what Los Angeles has to offer.

We started our Sunday at 7:30am with a 3.6 mile hike at Tree People (Coldwater Cyn. & Mulhulland Hwy.). Incase you're not aware, the San Fernando Valley has been seeing 100+ degree temperatures so getting out there early is imperative...unless you feel like completely torturing yourself.

(TreePeople images courtesy of Google Images)

This location was recently recommended to us and has quickly become one of our favorites. It has great views, very clean paths and is not crowded. If you're down for some hiking, add this place to your list of places to check out. www.treepeople.org

After breakfast (chorizo, eggs and tortillas for the foodies out there), we hit the road and headed over the hill to LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art). We've never really ventured around there with the exception of the La Brea Tar Pits so it was nice to finally check it out.

After LACMA, we were actually on our way to Melrose to do some walking around when we stumbled upon the Fairfax Swap Meet. With a $2 per person entry fee and rows upon rows of vintage clothes, electronics and art, checking it out was a no brainer.

Once we were done enjoying the sights and sounds of the swap meet, we decided to walk down Melrose for a bit. The heat got the best of us after about 30 minutes so we decided it was lunch time. About 1 mile away was one of our favorite and well-known Mexican spots, El Coyote. It's been family owned and operated since 1931 so rest assured you are getting an authentic meal.

(El Coyote image courtesy of their website)

It's safe to say that you can order anything off the menu and leave a very happy customer. We generally order a combination dinner (side salad, enchilada, taco, rice and beans) but this time we opted to keep it light, somewhat healthy and inexpensive. I wish I had words to better describe this side salad but those who have tried it know what I'm talking about. It's nothing more than shredded lettuce, tomato, carrots, string beans and peas topped with thousand island dressing. For some reason, this $4 salad has found a place in both of our hearts and hits the spot every single time.

At the end of the day, not including gas, we managed to do all of this for less than $20 total. Not a bad way to explore parts of LA while keeping it cheap!